The present invention relates to anchoring devices and methods and, in particular, to anchors for securement in bores in first members and which allow attachment of second members to the first members. The invention accordingly relates to devices for coupling a second member, i.e., a cylindrical or tubular member, into a bore in a first member. The present invention is particularly applicable in the medical field, but also has application in other fields, for example, the general field of fasteners and in the construction industry.
There is a need for a simple acting and quickly installable device for coupling a second member into a bore in a first member. There is particularly a need for such a device in the medical and surgical fields. In particular, there is a need for such a device which can be used to connect tissues or bones to other tissues or bones. Furthermore, there is a need for a device which will allow manmade materials to be connected to tissue or bones, in particular, to allow cylindrical or rod shaped objects, e.g., prostheses, to be fastened to a bore in a bone or other tissue. There is furthermore a need for an easily installable device for anchoring or fastening sutures to tissue, which sutures can then be connected to another object, for example, other tissue.
In the medical and surgical fields, there is a particular need for a device which can be coupled to a first object which is then inserted into a bore in the second object, thereby to quickly lock the first and second objects together. For example, there is a need for such a device which can connect prostheses to bone or bone to bone. There is furthermore a need for such a connection device which is essentially hollow in the interior thereby to allow placement of parts of tissue, bone or manmade materials inside the device, such as rods, pins, valves, sutures, etc.
There is also a need for a device which can lock two objects together in a quick and simple manner, for example, by compression, thereby to lock a component inside the device and simultaneously to a medium, for example, bone. There is a need for such a device for locking two components together, for example, bone and bone or tissue and bone or tissue and tissue, and which device can be left hollow to allow fluid to pass through the inserted device. There is furthermore a need for such a device which can direct or inhibit the flow of fluid passing through the device. Such a device could be used in the medical field to connect bone to bone, for example, to repair fractures or in spinal surgery. Such a device could also be used to connect other materials to bone, for example, prostheses to bone. These could be used in hip prostheses, knee prostheses or as bone plugs and dental implants.
There is furthermore a need for such a connection device which allows connection of tissue to bone. This could be used for ligament repair, meniscus repair and soft tissue repair. There is also a need for such a device which can provide tissue to tissue connections, for example, liver, lung and spleen resections.
There is also a need for such a device which allows materials to be connected to tissue. Such a device could be used in applications involving stenoses to provide clear passageways in esophageal, prostate and coronary tracts through the hollow center of the device, as filters and valves to block and emboli and as dams, for example, pancreatic blockers.
There is furthermore a need for a quick connection device which can be used in the fastener and construction industry and which allows connection of first objects into bores located in second objects.
Various anchoring, quick connection devices and devices for securement in blind holes are known. For example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,143,086, 2,100,570, and 5,161,916, a screw is fastened in a bore by the action of an expandable member, for example, a tubular element enlarged by a conical member. In U.S. Pat. No. 1,247,621, a screw is fastened in a bore by the action of an expandable member comprising expandable wings. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,293,259, expandable locking elements which fit into an undercut provide anchoring.
In each of the above patents, a screw element causes the expandable members, generally through the intermediary of a conical element, which may be a part of the screw or separate from the screw, to expand to grab the inner surface of the bore to provide the attachment.
In another patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,563, two interdigitated spacers are provided which allow the securement of an element to a wall having a hollow construction. In this patent, the interdigitated fingers are used to provide support between the skins of the hollow wall to prevent collapse of the wall.
Re. U.S. Pat. No. 34,293 shows a ligament attachment method which works on a similar principle to the construction fasteners described above, i.e., employing an expandable element which is expanded by a conical element operated by a screw. U.S. Pat. No. 5,037,422 discloses a bone anchoring device for securing sutures to bone. The device is conically shaped with serrations on the external surface. The device is forced into a recess in the bone and the conical shape and serrations keep it secured in the bone.
None of the prior art devices, however, provides a simple, quick and secure fastening device, which is especially adaptable in the medical field, for securing two objects, such as bone, tissue or foreign objects, together.